Getting Rid of Pool Stains

What better way to spend a hot afternoon in the summer season than a swim in your own pool. But, using the expression “expect the unexpected” what can have happened to your pool over the winter periods that will mar your enjoyment on that hot afternoon in summer? Stains! The following are some tips about those stains and tricks to keeping the pool clean through winter.

Firstly you need to identify the actual reason for the stain. There can be various root causes for the stains as follows -

• Leaves in the pool can indicate that the root cause is organic and the stains may be caused by these leaves which are usually greenish with algae like appearance.
• A reddish brown stain is probably an indication of rust coming from a metal source which if not seriously looked at will not only give you bad rust staining but can also lead to more serious pool problems in the future.

Having done the identification work now the task of actually getting rid of the stains

• Organic stains can easily be removed by hard scrubbing the surface area with a hard brush and organic cleaner. There are also pool chemicals which contain enzymes that destroy the actual organic source of the stain so that you don’t have resort the hard scrubbing as previous mentioned. Pool chemicals are the preferred option especially if you own a more luxurious pool which may not take kindly to the hard scrubbing solution.
• Rust stains usually appearing as red or brown staining need to the have the source identified as soon as possible. Metals containing iron are most commonly the source of these stains, also other metals such as copper or manganese can also corrode leaving a different colour stain. Some examples of the possible sources of these stains could be ladders and drains etc. You can try using a proprietary rust removal product such as BioGuard Pool Magnet Plus to remove the rust stains which have proved to work previously again even the most stubborn of stains. However, be aware that other acids in the pool may compete with the rust remover in which case you will have to reduce the acid concentration in your pool thus allowing the rust remover to do its job.

You must now seriously consider preventative measures in order to stop any future pool staining.

• Have your pool water checked for any presence of metal remembering that metals are part of our natural environment and therefore present everywhere. Be sure when filling your pool, that the water is free of any metal components as these will contribute to the staining of your pool.
• Check out the pipes and plumbing equipment that is used to fill your pool as these also can be a source of rust staining – prevention is better than cure.

Finally, if you still have a pool staining problem which the above hasn’t identified then drain the pool to it half way level and refill with treated (softened) water. Leave this to circulate for a couple of days and test it for the second time for traces of metal. Remember that corrosion is a likely outcome when metal components are present in the water. You should ask for the TDS level (Total Dissolved Solids Level) plus its pH alkalinity levels of your pool water. Iron or other metals present in the pool water can leach from the water surface and into the pool surface forming rust stains.

Finally, remember to de-chlorinate your pool once again and thus ensure its total cleanliness.